"Rapid Fill" Mugs Coming to Walt Disney World Hotels

luv

Well-Known Member
Back in the day when I worked at Six Flags, the park's president was refusing to install water misters in the park (which was happening at other parks) because he believed it would decrease the sales of beverages. It doesn't matter that soft drinks don't hydrate...most people think they do, psychologically if not intellectually.
Pop does hydrate. It isn't the best and isn't good for you, but if you drank only pop, you wouldn't die of dehydration.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
RunnerFool said:
Doesn't Disney get free soda from Coca-Cola? Belay my last, yes they do.
No they don't. This has been discussed before.
I have often wondered about that statement. I don't know if Coke is as big, financially, as Disney. I would think that they are at least as big as the theme parks. I also know that Coke is a for profit company and as such give nothing away. It is more than possible that they might deal with a quantity discount so that profit is based on volume and not just individual sales.

They have never been worried about losing sales in the past. Witness, withholding product from Mom and Pop Stores until they agreed not to carry Pepsi products. My feeling is that Coke is willing to cut prices a significant level and since Coke has been mentioned on those infernal damn mugs they are probably sharing the cost of production of them with Disney for promotional purposes. The mug goes home with the purchaser, so advertising is long range. And when all is said and done why would a business want to be involved in something that not only doesn't make them money but costs them to produce just to say that Disney is their biggest customer. Heck, I'll order more then Disney does if it's free then I can be their biggest customer.

I very much doubt if it's free to Disney, cheap yes, but it still costs.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Disney could stop the abuse, simply get rid of self serve.........Disney does not want to pay for a CM to hand out drinks simple as that.
Why the hell should they have to do that. There is yet another solution and it involves simply having the guest be honest. Wouldn't that be refreshing?
 

StarWarsGirl

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
The RFID mugs have rolled out to the water parks, so I had the opportunity to test them.

They let us trade in our old mugs for the new ones since they no longer offer the stickers. At least at the water parks, you do not have to purchase a new mug every time. They can reactivate it for the day. If they do this at the resorts, that would be good and save us repeat travelers from accumulating a collection of mugs. The reactivation price is $6.50, reasonable IMO. I believe the price for the mug itself is $10.50. The lockout period was 3 minutes.

I don't have a problem with Disney trying to prevent abuse as long as the technology they are using works. The problem with the RFID mugs is that they really don't work. If you don't put it on the tray exactly right, the mug won't refill. And I noticed I was not the only one with the issue. Many of the machines were also completely down. Twice my mother had to go up to the counter for a drink. The good thing is that they can double check the validity of your mug and refill it for you. But I foresee it being a total pain in the butt at the resorts.

I'd also rather they have the machines working. At Contempo Cafe where they had already replaced the machine (but did no have the RFID activated yet) the left machine was frequently down, as usual. The one at Beach Club Marketplace was running flat until yesterday. It too has a tendency to break. Maybe fix the machines first? Please?
 

willtravel

Well-Known Member
No..We got DDP for FREE :jawdrop: last year,saved us at least £900 in food..I kept all my receipts..And in the past we've always bought 3 refillable mugs..But last year they were FREE:jawdrop: with our FREE:jawdrop: Q/S dining plan..I love that word...FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE:joyfull:
I think what @MR FERRET is saying is that it is hidden with DDP cost. You are ultimately paying for it whether you use it or not. Just like transportation to/from the airport.
 

CDavid

Well-Known Member
No..We got DDP for FREE :jawdrop: last year,saved us at least £900 in food..I kept all my receipts..And in the past we've always bought 3 refillable mugs..But last year they were FREE:jawdrop: with our FREE:jawdrop: Q/S dining plan..I love that word...FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE:joyfull:

The point is Disney isn't giving anything away for free - the costs are just reflected in something else that you did pay for. You get free QS dining but pay full rack-rate for your accommodations and required tickets; If you passed on the "free" dining you could almost certainly have found an applicable discount on your room rate. Indeed, there have been many examples in the past where people gushed over "free dining", but when the numbers were crunched they could have saved even more with a room rate discount and paid out of pocket for the dining plan. Not saying this is true in your case, just saying there is literally no free lunch, not even in WDW.
 

real mad hatter

Well-Known Member
The point is Disney isn't giving anything away for free - the costs are just reflected in something else that you did pay for. You get free QS dining but pay full rack-rate for your accommodations and required tickets; If you passed on the "free" dining you could almost certainly have found an applicable discount on your room rate. Indeed, there have been many examples in the past where people gushed over "free dining", but when the numbers were crunched they could have saved even more with a room rate discount and paid out of pocket for the dining plan. Not saying this is true in your case, just saying there is literally no free lunch, not even in WDW.
The point I'am making is my 14 day/night vacation in 2012 was approx £600 cheaper than 2010..Same resort..same month..same park tickets..same travel company..The difference was in 2010 we spent approx $100 per day on Q/S meals..Total $1400...( £900 ) And last year,2012,on Q/S meals we spent Zip Pa Dee Doo Da...Not a dollar..not a dime..not a cent..If that's not free then I don't know what is.;)
 

RandomPrincess

Keep Moving Forward
The point I'am making is my 14 day/night vacation in 2012 was approx £600 cheaper than 2010..Same resort..same month..same park tickets..same travel company..The difference was in 2010 we spent approx $100 per day on Q/S meals..Total $1400...( £900 ) And last year,2012,on Q/S meals we spent Zip Pa Dee Doo Da...Not a dollar..not a dime..not a cent..If that's not free then I don't know what is.;)

That is true but Disney was still making plenty of money off of you.
 

real mad hatter

Well-Known Member
I think what @MR FERRET is saying is that it is hidden with DDP cost. You are ultimately paying for it whether you use it or not. Just like transportation to/from the airport.
See thread number #742..;)..The only thing that is hidden in my Disney vacation is my grin :Dwhen I produce my KTWC to pay for my meals..Wolfgang Pucks in DTD came to $72.60..Quick swipe of my magical KTWC...Total Bill..$00000000:greedy::p
 

prfctlyximprct

Well-Known Member
I like the new mugs, and I think it's smart. I had problems with my mug last visit and spilled my soda like 5 times, I'm a klutz what can I say, so waiting 2 minutes to refill might be a pain. But it is a smart move.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Really????? No business in the world relies on their customers to be fair and honest. In the old days there were no self serve drinks any where. It's a relatively new thing and that's because it was thought that getting rid of employees would out weigh what ever happens with the self serve. Free refills is relatively new as well, it wasn't like that when I was kid. Believe it or not you had to pay for each soft drink ordered.

How old are you??? This self serve stuff is new or at least to some one my age or older. No offense.
I'm 65 years old...I think that qualifies for seen it all. It is obvious that no business relies on ALL their customers to be fair and honest...just most of them. The world, from the old days has changed completely and not in a good way. I was not saying that they should just trust everyone, that ship has sailed, but why must they take expensive means to combat the dishonest? It is rhetorical, I know that presently that can not happen. To much of a me, me, me society to have that work anymore.

I am just expressing my upset on how today businesses have to take measures to keep the public honest. I can assure you that it never would have gone self serve if at that time they thought that people would be greedy and prone to steal. They knew that people would come back for more, and priced accordingly, but, not just blatantly take their share and much, much more. The answer to the increased labor and increased inconvenience to the customer that having additional staff babysit a group of adults, they used technology to keep people honest. My remorse is that they have to do anything at all. Doesn't speak will for the human race in my mind.
 
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